Wabds



(No Model.)

P.- H. EDWARDS.

CLASP FOR SAMPLE ENVELOPES. No. 364,501. Patented June 7. 1887.

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WITNESSES: INVENTOI? V lu ral ferc yfiflawardg. By -%/JZ;m/1 fi Afro/Mfrs UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY H. EDWVARDS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CLASP FOR SAM PLE-ENVELOPES.

SPECIFICATION forming art of Letters Patent No. 384,501, dated June '7, 1887.

Application filed March 3, 1887.

To aZZ 10700171 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PERCY HAMILTON ED- 'WARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sa1nple-Envelopes,of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to envelopes ofthe class known as sample-envelopes, because they are intended and are used largely for sending samples of goods or articles by merchants to their customers. The invention is fully decribed in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of the back of the envelope, showing the flap and its'fastening; and Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 00 m, Fig. 1.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

The letter A designates the envelope. The flap B at its lower end is permanently closed or sealed, but its upper or main flap, O, is closed by a removable fastening, D, in such a manner that the fastening can be opened to remove the contents of the envelope and to replace them again.

The fastening D consists of a spring-clasp having a body or plate, E, which is provided withopenings F F through it to receive eyelets G, by means whereof it is permanently secured to the back of the envelope near to the lower part of the flap 0, corresponding openings, H, being madein the back of the en- I velope to receive the eyelets.

' loekingplate, I}, and with a stud, I, which is adapted to enter the perforation in the locking-plate, and also to enter a hole, J, made for it in the flap O, as shown in the drawings, Fig. 2. The end of the flap 0, at the place where the hole J is made in it and immediately surrounding the hole J, is re-enforced by a plate or disk, K, of metal, cloth, or other suitable tough material, which is cemented or otherwise secured to the end of the flap, preferably on its under side. The reenforcing piece K is indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 1, and is shown in section in Fig. 2. Then the stud I is inserted in and passes through the hole madein the flap C, and the perforated lockingplate L of the clasp is brought down over the end of the stud, as shown in the drawings, the

Serial No. 229,566. (No model.)

flap C and perforated locking-plate L remain I engaged by the stud, because the perforated locking plate is'held down by the action of the spring M, whose free end bears against the tail-piece N of the locking-plate, while its other end is secured to the body of the clasp by the hub of the stud I, whose hub passes through both and is riveted upon them.

In Fig. 2 the perforated locking-plate L is shown in a raised position in dotted outline, in which position it allows the disengagement of the flap from the stud.

By perforating the end of the locking-plate it is allowed to pass down over the stud, and the locking-plate is permitted to press on the flap O and hold it down close to the body of the envelope, and thereby add to the security of the envelope.

This improvement possesses the characteristics of safety in securely locking the envelope, of being easily opened and locked again, of neatness in appearance, of facility and cheapness of production, of economy, inasmuch as the envelope is so constructed as to remain uninjured from being often closed and opened. The improved envelope meets, also, the requirement of the postal law in being capable of being opened readily to examine its contents.

The back of the envelope underneath the place where the body of the clasp is riveted to it is re-enforced by a disk,H,of metal,clotb, or other suitable material, so as to strengthen that part of the envelope and give a firmer hold to the rivets or eyelets.

Vhat I claim as new, anddesire-to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A sample-envelope having the re-enforcing disk H on the inside of its back, and having the flap 0, provided with the re-enforeing disk 9 K, and with an opening extending through it and the disk, in combination with the plate E, riveted to the disk H, the stud I, and the spring locking-plate L, having an opening through it, and adapted to pass onto said stud- 

